As the Taiwan sweet potato season comes to a close at the end of this month, growers are worried that the next season might not be as good, thanks to Typhoon Meranti, which hit the country recently.According to Ignacio Chang of She Sun Dae Trading Co.Ltd, the country is looking at a 20 percent decrease in production for the Taiwanese Golden Sweet Potato variety, as the crop has suffered the worst effects from the typhoon.
“The Typhoon hit on Tuesday evening and ended on Thursday morning and most of our fields are in the area that took the worst battering. So we don’t expect to harvest as much, as our crops will have been affected by too much rain in the region,” explains Ignacio.
Ignacio says the current season for the Number 57 variety, which began in March, has been relatively good - exports to Singapore and Hong Kong matched last year's volumes.
The other challenge growers may face is a bad winter, which Ignacio says could reduce the sweet potato quality by 40 percent.
“Last year we had snow and if we get the same this year the quality could be affected. This will not, necessarily, affect prices, as we expect these to remain buoyant ,” adds Ignacio. It seems likely, from his point of view, that the golden sweet potato variety will actually be more expensive in the coming season, as demand is expected to outstrip supply.
For more information:
Ignacio Chang
She Sun Dae Trading Co., Ltd.
Phone: +886 7 7871215
Mobile: +886-7-7871215;886-930763333
Fax: +886 7 7878604
Email: chang_chih_ping@hotmail.com